Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar slammed head coach Gautam Gambhir after India suffered a 76-run defeat to South Africa in the T20 World Cup Super 8 opener in Ahmedabad.
The defeat was India’s heaviest defeat in T20 World Cup history, pushing the defending champions to the brink of elimination and severely denting their net run rate. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side were widely backed to become the first team to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title and now they are faced with a situation where they have to win games to survive in the tournament.
Manjrekar questioned several tactical decisions, especially in India’s unsuccessful chase of 188 behind an early wicket to lift Washington Sundar to fifth position. The move comes after Sundar was preferred over vice-captain Axar Patel, a choice that has sparked debate although the team management described it as a tactical decision.
Speaking on CNN-News18’s Stump Mic show, Manjrekar used a poignant analogy to describe Sundar’s expanding role in the XI.
“Kailas Jeevan, there used to be a medicine by this name. If you had a headache, you would use it. If you had a stomach problem, you would take it. It was an all-in-one remedy. Washington Sundar, Gautam Gambhir seemed to have an all-in-one solution for everything,” Manjrekar said on CNN-News18’s Stump Mic while analyzing India’s batting performance.
“If there is a problem with the batting, Vashi. If there is a problem with the bowling, Vashi. Today he moved up to fifth and then Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya came to seventh. It’s just too much,” he added.
South Africa exploited India’s vulnerability to changes of pace, with Lungi Ngidi troubling the batsmen with well-disguised slow deliveries. Manjrekar stressed that the area needed urgent attention and singled out captain Suryakumar Yadav.
“Forget fast bowling and focus on bowling slower balls. They cannot handle slower balls or spinners. The captain faced the biggest difficulty against slower bowling,” he said.
India now turns its attention to the decisive clash with the Zimbabwe national cricket team. Not only do they have to win to keep their semi-final hopes alive, but they also need a comprehensive victory to repair the damage done to the net run-rate in Ahmedabad.
